Marked as Equal
by Garelor
Summary: Harry Potter, after having been missing for ten years, is now at Hogwarts. But now he goes by Hadrian, and is a student of Durmstrang? Where has he been all these years, and what's going to happen to Dumbledore's plans when Hadrian is selected as the Durmstrang champion.
1. Chapter 1

Marked as Equal

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Problem

Albus Dumbledore was over the moon with excitement that evening.

While Albus was always quite happy, days that held this kind of news were becoming less frequent. And so, Albus let himself enjoy the joy that had come with the news that the Ministry was going to revive the Tri-Wizard Tournament. While an event like this would be very beneficial in strengthening the international bond that Hogwarts had with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the old headmaster was far more focused on the potential that the tournament would have in preparing the chosen one for his upcoming trials, something that had been a struggle up till now.

With a glass of celebratory fire whiskey in his hand, with two ice cubes in it, he mulled and reminisced about the years he had spent trying to mold Eric Potter into the person he needed to be in order to cause the demise of Voldemort. The Philosopher's Stone mystery had been difficult to set up, as he had to convince the few people he told about it that it was real, while also making sure that rumor and clues about the stone only reached Eric, as well as the one close friend he had managed to pick up. Sadly, it was all in vain, as Eric was not able to combat the Voldemort-Quirrell hybrid, and Dumbledore, who had been secretly following and observing the duo as they went along, had to step in and save that day.

The Chamber of Secrets reopening had not been intentional, but the second it had happened, Dumbledore saw how he could use this to further Eric training. It had been easy enough to discover that it was Ginny Weasley who had been organising the attacks, under the possession of Thomas Riddle, but once again, his plans were foiled once again when Eric Potter wasn't brave enough to go and save Ginny at the end of the year. Instead, it had once again been Dumbledore that had to rush in and save the day, as well as destroy the horcrux that had come into the child's possession. But that year, Dumbledore had learned that Eric Potter could speak parsletounge, confirming that Eric did indeed have a piece of Voldemort's soul residing inside him. And although Eric didn't handle the rejection he faced from the student body at all like he had hoped, Dumbledore hoped that he still used the experience to gain a deeper appreciation for his friends.

Eric's third year had certainly been an interesting one. With the breakout of Peter Pettigrew, James Potter and Sirius Black, along with a host of other Aurors, had been assigned to keep Hogwarts secure. This was also the year that Remus Lupin had taken up the Defense position at the school. It was the werewolf's presence, along with the search for Peter Pettigrew, that was the focus of Eric's growth that year. That had so far been the most successful plan that Dumbledore had cooked up, even with Pettigrew escaping Hogwarts, but the amount of work Eric put in, and how he developed was not to Dumbledore's liking.

But this, this, the Tri-Wizard tournament, this could be what finally got Eric to take his role as the chosen one seriously. The new rules would make it so that only those of age could participate, but that would not be at all difficult for Dumbledore to get around. And the reactions from the student body would also be good for Eric to grow as a good person. And if the rumors that Dumbledore had been hearing lately, the ones that suggested that Voldemort was regaining his strength, then the villain would surely also use this as a way to revive himself fully. This was just the perfect situation.

 ***MaE***

This was not the ideal situation.

Viktor Krum used to be quite content being by himself, and he still largely was. After all, people tended to be annoying, and recently, most tried to befriend him due to his fame as the youngest professional seeker in the world. And it certainly didn't help that his curt and no-nonsense attitude tended to put people off once he actually conversed with them.

But three years ago, Viktor had made a best friend. He was an odd person to have as a best friend, that was certain, and none of the other students at the Durmstrang Institute pretended to understand it. But after what had started off as a rather annoying set of meetings and interactions, he and Viktor had grown as close as family, to the point that his friend had simply been invited to spend the entirety of the holidays with them. Viktors parents had even asked the boy if he wished to become a Krum, but for reason he would only tell them, and reasons he had never told anyone else, he had to decline.

But why was he never around when he should be!?

Viktor Krum had spent at least a half hour searching the damn boat for his friend, and there was no sign of him. He shouldn't have been surprised, if he wasn't in his room, then he was nearly impossible to find, always being in the most random of places. But there was a limited number of places that one could be when sailing on a boat to Scotland, right? Apparently not, because Krum was under the impression that he had checked them all.

But when decided to check the deck of the ship for the third time, and had finally looked up to see what he was certain to be the odd mans vague person sitting in the crows nest, he felt very stupid. That should have been the first place he checked after his room, everyone knew that he had a strange thing for tall places. Of course, this meant that now Krum would have to climb the ladder up there. Krum wasn't afraid of heights at all, but it was cold outside and there was always something about climbing a ladder that was much more unsettling than flying a broom.

But once he reached the top, oh man, Viktor could understand why he was up here. Viktor had become used to seeing things from high up, but he had never been high up while on a boat. It was absolutely beautiful, being able to see neverending miles of waving and rolling ocean along with the Scottish coastline. And with all that was undoubtedly going through his friends mind, Viktor could easily guess that he needed this absolutely beautiful view to distract himself from those thoughts.

" _Hadrian, Headmaster Karkaroff said that he wanted to see you before we get to Hogwarts. No doubt it is about what he expects out of you during the tournament."_

Hadrian made no sign that he heard the Bulgarian, but Viktor knew that he did. Right now, Hadrian was sketching, something he did very often, and it looked like he was currently sketching the coast. Viktor was always amazed at just how lifelike his friend's drawing were, and when he had first seen the paintings that Hadrian had done he had first thought that they were photographs.

Hadrian not only had a strange personality, but a strange look to go along with it, though that was only partly because he refused to wear the school uniform, or any wizard clothes for that matter. His entire person was what one would call conventionally attractive, with a tall, slim, and well built body and a well sculpted face. His green eyes were bright and more green than any of the students had come across, and his black hair fell in messy waves that seemed both chaotic and natural.

But there were obvious hints that he was not just the misfit he acted like. There was a very noticeable tattoo taking up the space on his right forearm. A full circle, with a triangle residing inside it with the three corners touching the edges of the circle. Inside the triangle was a square, and inside that was another circle. The strangest thing Viktor found about the tattoo was simply the fact that it was facing Hadrian. Most people got their tattoos to that it was facing away from them, so that they could be seen by others easier. But Hadiran had his tattoo facing himself.

Running vertically over the right side of his lip and chin was a prevalent scar, which looked like it had been made there by a knife. And if one were to look at Hadrian's neck, they would see a big burn scar going halfway up the left side of his neck and disappearing into his shirt to continue down the left side of his chest.

And those were only the two scars that were visible. Viktor didn't make a habit of looking at Hadrian shirtless, but they did share a room at Durmstrang after all.

Finally, Hadrian stopped his sketching and looked up towards his friend. _"You sound worried. Is everything alright, Viktor?"_

Viktor sighed at the reply. _"Of course everything is not alright, it amazes me that you are acting as calm as you are. Are you sure you shouldn't be as nervous as I am."_

Hadrian simply smirked as he began to stand up from where he was sitting, stretching as he did so. _"Well I'll be damned. One of the first times I ever get to see you nervous, and it's not even for yourself. You're making me blush, Viktor."_

" _You stop that right now."_ Viktor said quickly before Hadrian could go anywhere else with that thought. Apparently, there had been a rumor going around when the two of them had first started hanging out with each other that they had romantic feelings for each other. It was obvious to the two of them that no such feelings existed, but Hadrian never hesitated in joking about it.

Viktor heaved another sigh before he began speaking again. _"Seriously, we know that both of your parents are going to be there for parts of the year at the least, and your younger brother studies there. Why aren't you more worried about this?"_

Hadrian looked back in front of him, watching as his breath turned into a visible vapor in front of him. The schools had all decided to arrive at Hogwarts on the first of October, giving the visiting schools a month to settle in and make friends with the other schools before the selecting of the champions began. And though October had just begun, out on the water it was very chilly and Hadrian was transfixed by the vapor for some reason.

" _I thank you for being worried about me, but there is nothing to worry about. It'll be weird and unpleasant, but I haven't been Harry Potter for ten years. Seeing them now isn't going to change anything, at least not in a way that matters."_

Viktor knew, or at least he believed, that Hadrian was just saying this to comfort him, but he trusted Hadrian completely. And if something did go wrong, Viktor would be there for Hadrian in an instant.

" _I will trust you, Hadrian, but I want to remind you that I will be behind you all of the way."_

Before Viktor could properly realize what he had just said, Hadrian had another smirk turn up on his face. _"Really, you're only going to be behind me? What if I wanted you to take me from the front?"_

" _Just get your ass to Karkaroff before I beat you there, Hadrian!"_

" _Kinky."_

" _Fuck you!"_

 ***MaE***

Fleur Delacour had just about had enough of her peers.

Once again, drama had forced its way into her life, all because she was a veela. Some boy who she couldn't care to remember had broken up with Sarah, a girl who was the very definition of self absorbed. And of course, Sarah had immediately decided that it was Fleur's fault he had broken up with her, that Fleur had corrupted him with her allure. It was a ridiculous accusation, and one that Fleur had received many times before, but that did not stop it from being so utterly frustrating.

She sat alone in her room, Claire having left just minutes ago, and continued to vent her frustrations by angrily pacing the room. She would shout every now and then, not needing to worry about it thanks to the privacy charms placed on all the rooms. A loud voice, no doubt the work of magic, told her that they would be arriving at the British school in no more than five minutes, so Fleur took this last opportunity to release her anger before she had to depart the carriage and put on a good image for Beauxbatons, which would undoubtedly cause the sheep that would be the men of the two other schools to be entranced by her.

The landing was rough, though Fleur could only tell because they had been looking out the window when it happened, and watching such a rough landing made her slightly motion sick. The Headmistress then made sure that they were all looking perfect, before he had them walking out of the carriage in two lines. As expected, just about all of the male Hogwarts students, as well as a small number of the female ones, focused on her. Their reactions, as she saw a few of the older students shake it off after a bit, but there were also a few who were openly drooling over her.

A stern woman had then lead them into a large dining hall, with an enchanted ceiling that Fleur had to begrudgingly admit was much more impressive than any other dining hall she had previously been in. The gold plates and cutlery were also quite eye catching, though she knew it wasn't real gold. Fleur made sure to put as much distance between her and Sarah as she could, not wanting more a reason to get angry tonight.

Soon enough, the other students started filtering in, and she discovered that the table that the Beauxbaton students were lead to was the ones that the Hogwarts students with blue ties and emblems sat at. The Durmstrang students seemed to dawdle in the entrance way, focused on taking off their large fur coats in the warmer room, which is where she spotted a strange sight.

It was a person, dressed so differently from everyone else. He had to be a Durmstrang student, but he wasn't wearing the crimson robes that were their school uniform, nor was he even wearing the fur coat that the rest of Durmstrang students were wearing. Instead he wore simple black jeans and shoes, and a loose, plain, gray long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled covering his elbows. She could see a wand holster strapped to the right side of his belt.

On his right forearm was a tattoo she couldn't quite make out from the distance she was at, and on his left wrist was a well worn, light brown leather cuff watch. She could see what looked to be a burn scar on his neck, and he had very confusing hair, but by far the most attractive thing about him were his bright, vivid eyes. They drew her in from where she was sitting, and she found herself in a trance.

She quickly shook herself out of it and looked away from the boy. Looking around her, she quickly discovered that there were quite a lot of people that were looking at him, though part of that could definitely be attributed to the fact that he was now sitting next the quidditch star, Viktor Krum. But she did have no doubt that his abnormal, but not unpleasant, look and style was a large part of it.

An elderly English voice interrupted Fleurs thought, and she turned to see the Headmaster of Hogwarts standing at his seat.

"Now that we are all seated and settled, I would like to just make a couple of announcements to our lovely guests, as well as what I hope to be some words of inspiration. First off, while we here at Hogwarts are so glad to have you students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons here, it is important to note that while we want you to see the beauty that is our school grounds, the Forbidden Forest is named so for a reason, and should only be entered when there is a Hogwarts staff member present. There are other rules that must be followed here, and although a Hogwarts professor cannot reprimand you, we will talk to your own headmasters if our rules are broken."

Though these were serious things being discussed, the man, she believed his name to be Dumbledore, said it all with a smile and a joyful tone, his blue eyes twinkling like it was Christmas.

"Now, the boring official stuff is out of the way, let's move on to why we're all here. Building relations. Building friendships. All through competition. This in itself sounds controversial. After all, how is one supposed to become friends and allies with those that they are competing against? While, it is my belief that it is in competition that we discover others strengths, as well as their weaknesses, and that if we all band together, we can help not only others rise to greatness, but that they will do the same for us. And I also believe that our champions will be excellent displays of this."

It was inspiring, even if Fleur herself didn't necessarily agree with the statement. It sounded to her like this old man had too much faith in others, but she would see if he was right. Especially if she was chosen to be the Beauxbatons champion.

A couple more sentences, but Fleur stopped focusing on anything until the food appeared. She was a bit thankful that the house elves had taken the foreign students into account when they cooked, as there were a number of French dishes that she knew were safe to eat, though she was interested in trying some of the Bulgarian dishes she saw. Soon, her golden plate was filled with sarmale, mici, coq au vin, and shepards pie.

" _Someone's hungry today. Is Sarah getting to you?"_

Fleur turned to her left to see Olivia, another one of the few people she could call a friend, and the only person she could call her best friend. Olivia looked to be Fleur's opposite, though that was only true in appearance. Fleur had long, flowing blond hair, with bright blue eyes and pale skin. Olivia had dark eyes and hair, and hers was cut in a short bob. Her skin was tanned, something that had come from many summers working on her grandparents farm.

" _It is not Sarah that is getting to me. I am just so sick of all the stupid immaturity that people seem to be so obsessed with."_

" _Well, you always know my opinion on how to get the other girls to leave you alone."_ Olivia said with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile on her face directed towards her taller friend. Fleur only sighed in slight annoyance, having already had this discussion with her friend many times before.

" _I have already told you, trying to get a boyfriend would just be a waste of time. The girls wouldn't take it seriously, and none of the boys would truly be attracted to anything other than getting to date a Veela."_

" _And that may be true of the students and boys of our school."_ Olivia started, confusing Fleur slightly. _"But what about dating someone from one of the_ other _schools."_

Immediately, Fleur's gaze shifted over to the strange looking boy sitting at the Slytherin table. He was a bit difficult to see through the students at the Hufflepuff table in between them, but she could see him making jokes at the quidditch player, jokes that seemed to be causing the famous Viktor Krum some grief if his annoyed expression and the laughing Durmstrang students were anything to go by.

Fleur felt a nudge at her side and turned to once again see Olivia's sly face, her eyes conveying that she knew exactly who Fleur was gazing at.

" _Don't you say anything."_

" _And why shouldn't I?"_ Olivia responded with a laugh. _"He is very cute after all. I mean, look at those scars. Everyone knows that scars make a man look sexy."_

" _It doesn't matter, because I don't want a boyfriend anyways. I do not need to be in a relationship to define myself. And just because he's attractive, doesn't mean he's going to be-"_

And then Fleur's thoughts were interrupted when she turned to look back at him and saw him looking right back at her. Her thoughts turned to anger as she waited for him to show the signs of being entranced by her allure, just so that she could prove to Olivia that just because he could apparently get away with not wearing the Durmstrang uniform, he was no different from any other man she had come across. Just because he was very, _very_ , attractive, it did not mean he would be have the qualities she desired in a man.

… But then, he wasn't showing the signs. No signs of being under her Veela spell. In fact, he was instead showing the normal signs of awkwardness that accompanied such an unplanned staring contest. His eyes would dart away from hers only to look awkwardly around the room, only to come back seconds later to check if she had looked away as well. After a while, he gave a _very_ awkward smile to her, as well as something she decided had to either be a wave or a salute. The awkward exchange was ended when his attention was called for by Krum.

Fleur continued to stare in his direction for a couple seconds longer, in shock of what had just happened, before she felt a sting on her arm, courtesy of Olivia.

" _Ouch! What was that for?!"_

Olivia only laughed at her response to her pinch. _"Sorry about that, Fleur, but I figured that someone had to stop you from gazing so lovingly at Prince Charming. I know he's attractive, but I didn't think that you'd fall for him that quickly."_

" _That isn't what happened at all!"_ Fleur said back to her friend, probably just a bit louder than she should have.

" _Oh really. Then shed some light on why you were staring at him for so long, if it was not love at first sight."_

" _The only reason I was looking at him so long is because he wasn't affected by my allure, okay!"_ Fleur said back to the girl, and then she realized that she was still talking loudly, as she could hear all the french students around her stop their conversations, and feel them looking at her. Even Olivia looked shocked at the news.

And then she regained her sly smirk, though Fleur could still see traces of genuine happiness on Olivia's face. Olivia turned back to her food, and Fleur could hear the other French students whispering around them, trying to figure out which boy in the hall was the one who was immune to the famous Vella allure.

" _I hope you know, Fleur, that now there is no choice. We have to see if this man is worthy of you. You don't get a say anymore."_

Fleur could only groan.

 ***MaE***

As Severus Snape worked on the potions that Madame Pomfrey had requested for the hospital wing, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to who he had seen during the feast. It was him, Snape was certain of that. He might look a tad different now, and he might be speaking Bulgarian and going to school at Durmstrang, but Snape was certain that this boy was the boy that he had been looking for for ten years.

The long lost Harry Potter.

It had been then that so much in Snape's life had changed. It had been then that Snape had truly begun to close himself off from others completely. And it had been then that Snape realized that the people he had looked up towards, and the one person he had considered a friend, had truly changed.

It had taken James and Lily Potter somewhere around a month to realize that their son, Harry, had left them, and the only way they knew this was because Harry was there when Snape visited for tea and was gone when Snape came back a month later to drop off Harry's birthday present. That had been in early September, the fifth to be exact, so Snape knew that Harry should have just turned eighteen less than a month ago.

And ever since that day, Snape had been looking for Harry, whether it be traveling everywhere he could physically looking for the boy, or using what contacts he had, light or dark in nature, that might know even the slightest thing about the whereabouts of Harry. And he had done so for ten years, alone. Because even they they claimed to love their son, Lily and James just couldn't possibly leave Eric by himself or with a sitter while they looked for their other son. And when asked to help by Snape, Dumbledore had stated that his full attention needed to be focused on preparing Eric for the trials that were to come in way, and that Harry would have to remain lost all for the greater good.

And that was why Snape refused to call any of them his friends or allies anymore.

Now, that by no means meant that Severus was entirely alone in his quest. He had struck a very surprising friendship with both Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, two former enemies and bullies of his, in his search for Harry. Of course, the two of them were still friends with Lily and James, but Snape couldn't deny that he had become close to the two other marauders over the years.

But none of that mattered anymore, because Harry was here. After ten years, Harry was finally here, and he would be here for the rest of the school year. Snape had the entire year to talk to Harry, to do everything in his power to try and make up for the fact that he couldn't find him, make up for his damned parents horrible neglect of him. And as he looked down at the list of names of students he would be teaching from the other schools and saw the name Hadrian, mentally joking that _of course_ he would be going by his full name now, he hoped that he could begin making up for all that had gone wrong in Harry's life as soon as he could. Hopefully, he could start as soon as tomorrow's lesson.

 ***MaE***

This time, Viktor made sure that the crows nest was the first place he checked when he was looking for Hadrian. Curfew would be in a few short minutes, and Viktor knew that if Hadrian was not reminded about the time, he would forget to check his watch. There was also the fact that Hadrian had been unusually distracted for the majority of the feast, and Viktor just wanted to make sure that being in the same room as his blood brother hadn't affected him badly.

But when he reached the crows nest, sight only visible by the number of small glowing orbs that were scattered around the platform, the person he found was not one that was nervous, or one that was angry, or even one that was confused and upset. The Hadrian that he came across was calm, at peace, focused on what he was drawing. A quick glance at the bulging journal revealed that he currently working on capturing the likeness of the Veela that had come with the other Beauxbaton students. But the fact that Hadrian was so focused on this drawing was what was odd.

Hadrian was an artist, there was no doubt about that. His drawing and paintings were perfect enough to pass as reality. But what was perhaps even more amazing was the fact that Hadrian created these masterpieces with no effort at all, almost as if he drawn them all a million times before. For him to be so focused on a drawing meant that it was something that Hadrian was thinking deeply about. And for him to be thinking so intently about someone he hadn't even talked to was out of character for the emerald eyed man.

" _Enamoured with the Vella, are you?"_ Viktor said to his friend, drawing his attention away from the drawing and towards the one who stood before him. Confusion was written on clearly on his face.

" _The Veela? What on earth are you talking about?"_

Now _that_ had Viktor confused. Hadrian had a better knowledge of magical creatures than anyone he had ever met before, so how had he not noticed what she was?

" _The girl you are drawing, she is Veela. Surely you could tell, half the hall was staring at her because of her allure. It took all of us a bit to break out of the charm"_

Hadrian looked back towards his drawing of the girl, gazing upon it as if he had just read a particularly surprising twist in one of the many books he read. He traced the outline of the woman's face, studying it thoroughly.

After a short while, Hadrian simply replied, _"I didn't even notice."_

Honestly, that didn't surprise Viktor as much as it should have. It was simply another one of those things that made Hadrian strange. But…

" _If you did not know that she is Veela, then why are you drawing her?"_

Hadrian closed his journal before he responded. _"Well, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I just wanted to make sure I don't forget her."_

Viktor gave a small chuckle as his friend stood up from where he was standing, once again amazed by the weirdness that was his friend. _"If I believed in such a thing, I would call that love at first sight. But I don't, so I won't. Still, for you to enamoured by any woman at all is shocking, so I'll still consider today a success."_

Hadrian gave a small laugh, not willing to give Viktor anything more to hold over him. The two of them descended down the ladder and walked towards their rooms, hoping to get a good night's rest before they began their altered schooling. Neither of them knew what to expect of this school, but whatever may come their way, a proper amount of sleep would certainly help.

 ***MaE***

Dumbledore sat in his chair late into the night, gazing out of his window towards the Black Lake of Hogwarts, where the ship of Durmstrang sat at the docks, gently swaying with the small waves the wind made. The day had surely been a success, he could easily see the awe that the foreign students and headmasters had for his school. And once Eric became the Tri-Wizard Champion, he be much more prepared for his trials, and an added bonus is that the other countries of the world would be there to see his triumphs.

But there was something that was currently troubling Albus's thoughts. Something that he had not accounted for, and something that had not even cross his mind for many years. Of course, how could he have thought that the boy would end up in Durmstrang of all places. Truthfully, he hadn't even thought the boy was alive, years of Severus's fruitless searches had made that seem to be the only possibility. But after having disappeared for ten years, Harry Potter had finally been found.

Of course, now he went by Hadrian, and had hidden his past from those at Durmstrang. He was certain that Karkaroff knew of Hadrian's heritage, that was made obvious by the uncertain way he spoke of the boy when Dumbledore had asked about the oddly dressed boy. But that hardly mattered. What was concerning was the information that he had received from the headmaster of Durmstrang.

Hadrian was at the top of every single one of his classes, and had already taken the NEWTS for several of them. He was the best duelist in their school club, and had even beaten the teachers who had challenged him. He didn't have many friends, but that did not seem to bother Karkaroff. And a brief, small, undetectable glance into Karkaroff's mind told Dumbledore that the Durmstrang headmaster had already extended the option of becoming a teacher at Durmstrang once Hadrian was with his schooling, though it seemed like Hadrian was still thinking it over.

Over all, this was not the best news that Albus could have received. He had been completely focused on Eric's education for fourteen years now, and he was almost no closer to preparing Eric for his future than he was when Eric had first arrived. And if he did not gain control of this new situation, if someone were to find out the relation between the two boys, who knows what might happen. They might start to doubt Dumbledore's teachings, and that could not be allowed.

Something had to be done, but what?


	2. Chapter 2

Marked as Equal

Chapter 2: New Friendships and a Former Teacher

 ***MaE***

Eric Potter was not the most popular person in the school.

Well, that wasn't the whole truth. Truth was, Eric Potter was very popular, the most well known person in the school, and many would argue that he was the most well known person in the world. After all, nobody had ever survived the killing curse before. So yes, Eric Potter was very popular, but popular wasn't quite the word people would use to describe Eric's status at Hogwarts. A more fitting word would be infamous.

But that information never seemed to click with the Potter heir. And as he swaggered down towards the great hall for breakfast on the second of October, one could easily tell that he saw himself to be the top of the food chain. His messy, reddish-brown hair was swept to his left, leaving his scar for all to see. His hazelnut eyes displayed a look of great Gryffindor confidence as he walked towards the Gryffindor table, and his slightly athletic frame, created entirely from quidditch practices, moved with a grace that could only be seen in someone who truly believed in themselves.

No, when he sat down, and people moved away or didn't sit with him, it was simply because they were intimidated by his status and his legend. It couldn't possibly be because they didn't like him. And he was certain that when people were whispering in the halls as he passed by, they were all praise about him, all telling each other how in awe they were of the Boy-Who-Lived.

So when he saw Viktor Krum enter the hall, next to the absolute weirdo he had seen yesterday, Eric knew that he should help out. After all, Viktor was the only other famous student here, so it was Eric's duty to make sure that Krum was hanging around the right sort of people. If Eric wasn't there to teach the quidditch star right from wrong, he would probably keep the company of the muggle dressed moron.

And so, Eric Potter stood up from the bench and began walking over the entrance of the great hall, passing by a couple Ravenclaws on the way, and soon enough, stood right before the Bulgarian pair, the two of them showing surprise at his appearance.

"Eric Potter, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Viktor." the Potter heir said to the older man, getting a look of confusion from both of the Durmstrang boys as he held his hand out for Viktor to shake. A moment of awkwardness for the Bulgarian quidditch player passed, with him looking over towards his friend in silent question, before he reluctantly took the hand.

"It is nice to meet you too, I guess." Viktor said back to the Hogwarts student, slowly shaking the hand he was offered. "If you don't mind, my friend and I vould very much like to eat breakfast, so ve'll be on our vay."

"That is great, why don't you sit with me? Of course, your friend should probably sit by himself, but someone like yourself is more than welcome." Eric said as he smiled towards the famous seeker, not processing the angry look he was receiving.

"I am sorry, but I have no interest in sharing a meal with you."

Krum immediately left after that, his friend following him silently, a look of boredom plastered on the strangers face. And as the two of them were walking over to the Slytherin table to join the majority of their schoolmates, Eric Potter felt his anger soar.

"How dare you!" he exclaimed as he began to walk over to them, causing many students to look over towards him, and gaining the attention of Viktor and his friend. "Do you have any idea who I am!? I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, and I will not be treated like some dirty washcloth by a filthy foreigner!"

Viktor Krum's expression only turned more angry at the words, but the other man put a hand on his shoulder and said something to Krum in Bulgarian. Krum calmed down ever so slightly after that, and the two turned around again to continue walking.

"Don't you dare-"

"Detention, Mister Potter." a voice said out of nowhere, and Eric turned around to see the tall form of Snape standing behind him. "My office after dinner tonight, let's say half past eight. Don't be late."

And then as quickly as he had appeared, he left, walking towards the teachers table where breakfast awaited him. Eric scowled at the prick of a teacher before turning back towards the Bulgarian duo, only to find them at the Slytherin table now. Eric angrily turned around and walked back towards his spot at the Gryffindor table, thoroughly put out by what he had expected to be a pleasant encounter with Viktor.

 ***MaE***

Fleur Delacour had to do her best not to get angry. The thought that someone could be as arrogant as Eric Potter was never a pleasant one, but to go so far as to call someone a filthy foreigner, and to try and completely exclude one's friend because they weren't famous was absolutely disgusting. Granted, Eric Potter was one of the students who was completely gawking at her, and had even tried to get her to sit next to him, and hint that he would prefer for her to be on his lap, when she had been forced to get a dish from his table, so disgusting is what she should have expected from the little boy. And thankfully, the raven haired professor had intervened before The-Boy-Who-Lived could go any further.

Fleur turned her gaze to look towards Viktor Krum and the mystery boy, finding the former to be in a rant, most likely about Eric Potter, as he started putting breakfast onto his plate, while the mystery boy only laughed at whatever his friend was saying. The green eyed man seemed to be taking the whole situation very well, much better than Fleur herself would have. And Fleur had to wonder just why that was.

Nevertheless, it wasn't any of her business, so she turned back to look at her food as she continued to eat. Today would be the first day of her classes, of which she had Care of Magical Creatures first. It was taught by a Professor Hagrid, which, if Fleur's hunch was correct, would most likely be the obviously half-giant man sitting on the right end of the table, or rather, her left.

While that didn't bother her, she just hoped that the man wasn't as clumsy as many other half-giants, as she had no interest in having her clothes set aflame, or to have her bones broken. Nevertheless, she would trust this professor until he gave her a reason not to. After all, he had to at the very least be knowledgeable in the field if he was authorized to teach the subject.

Olivia found her way to the spot next to her only a minute later, which was most likely for the best, because if she were there for Eric Potter's show, she most likely would have made several comments to Fleur about the green eyed man. The two of them enjoyed their breakfast with some casual conversation, mostly about their hopes for what classes were going to be like at this new school, and before long they had to leave their spot and make their way to the hut that was on the grounds of Hogwarts for their first class.

It was very cold when the two of them made their way outside, and Fleur hastily cast a warming charm on her clothes, something that Olivia copied. The two of them saw the hut in the distance, as well as a group of three Hogwarts students that were lingering outside of it, and so they made their way in that direction. A while into the walk and Olivia became a bit quieter, while also gaining a huge smile on her face, something that Fleur was confused about. But it was when they arrived at the hut that Fleur understood.

When they had found a place to stand, Fleur was able to see the figures of Viktor Krum and the other man walking down to the hut. Which meant that the two of them would be in the class with them. Which of course, meant that Olivia was up to something. What that something was, Fleur didn't have the slightest clue, but it would no doubt involve trying to get her closer to the only man she knew, other than family of course, that was immune to her allure. However, now was not the time to think on that, as professor Hagrid had just exited his hut, and was just waiting for the last couple of students to join them before class started.

"Alright, is everybody 'ere now? One, two three… Alright, seems like everyone is here. Now, I've got 'ere a list of of all the new students, but I'd like ter match up yer faces ter the names, if you don't mind. Now, let's start with the Durmstrang students, Just step forward and say yer name and, uh, maybe say yer favorite creature, just fer fun."

There were only six Durmstrang students that were in the class, four boys and two girls. Their names went Alex, Petre, Olga, Natalia, Viktor, and then, the name that Fleur had been wondering for a bit,

"My name is Hadrian, and my favorite creature would probably be the Thestral."

An odd name, Fleur thought, as well as an odd creature to be someone's favorite. Nevertheless, she finally knew what his name was, and that was all that mattered. But she did note how Hadrian had spoken English with a perfect accent.

Professor Hagrid had the three female and five male Beauxbaton students do the same, and when it came to Fleur, she decided to say that the centaurs were her favorite creature. Not necessarily a lie, but not really the truth. In truth, Fleur couldn't come up with a definite answer, too busy feeling angry at the majority of the male populous gazing at her.

"Alright, now we don't have time fer all the Hogwarts students ta introduce themselves, but I'm expecting all of yeh to make an effort to get to know everyone. Alright? Good. Now, I thought I'd give yeh all a treat, and I brought in a special creature, courtesy of our own Headmaster, professor Dumbledore. Fawkes, if yeh could come down 'ere!"

And out of nowhere, a beautiful scarlet bird flew down from the sky, gracefully landing on one of the wooden posts that made up the fence to Hagrids vegetable patch.

"This right here is a Phoenix, the headmasters own personal one. His name is Fawkes. Now it's important ter remember that Phoenix's are very loyal ter their owners, as well as the fact that they're very hard to domesticate. Keep that in mind when yeh approach Fawkes today, 'e won't take kindly to any behavior that Dumbledore wouldn't approve of."

It was then that Hagrid allowed the students to approach the Phoenix, in pairs, very carefully, and study the magnificent, magical bird up close. When it was Fleur and Olivia's turn, Fleur slowly put her hand forward in the hopes that the bird would allow her to stroke its feathers. She was a little disheartened when Fawkes leaned away for a bit, but when he leaned into her hand, she felt like that moment would make the entire day worth it.

The other students seemed to do just fine with Fawkes, a couple others even getting to stroke his feathers as well, but it was when Viktor and Hadrian went to approach Fawkes that Fleur was amazed. As soon as the two of them walked up to the Phoenix, said bird immediately perked up, as if standing at attention to a captain or general. Fleur had a feeling that this was due to the presence of Hadrian, though she couldn't understand why someone who seemed so casual and laid back could get such respect from one of the most respectable creatures on the earth.

Hadrian let Viktor study Fawkes first, and the Bulgarian seeker seemed completely in awe of the creature. Not surprising in itself, but the amount of notes that he was taking on the bird was simply astounding. Viktor leaned over and whispered something to Hadrian, getting what looked like a short reply back, to which the seeker looked happy. After a little while, Viktor stepped out of the way and Let Hadrian have his time with the Phoenix.

As soon as Hadrian stepped up to Fawkes, the two of them simply stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Next, Hadrian leaned down and started talking to Fawkes in a very quiet voice, so quiet that Fleur doubted anyone other than Fawkes and Viktor could hear him. And after he was done talking, the strangest thing happened. Hadrian patted his left shoulder, and Fawkes went ahead and jumped right onto it.

It seemed that silence was the only reaction that anyone in the class could produce. How Hadrian was able to have a Phoenix stand on his shoulder like it was nothing, Fleur had no idea. In fact, the only ones who didn't look surprised were Viktor Krum, who seemed to find the whole situation amusing, and Hagrid, who was busy clapping and smiling at the young man.

"Bravo! Bravo! Outstanding! Simply amazing, Hadrian!" Hagrid cheered as the rest of the class stared at him in awe. "I don't know what ya did ter make Fawkes like ya so much, but I sure am glad to have been here to see it."

Fleur couldn't agree more with the giant teacher. She couldn't understand why the dignified creature seemed to deem Hadrian worthy of its respect, but it felt like an honor to simply see it happen. It was very rare for a Phoenix to allow itself to be tamed at all, but to be tamed so quickly, and when it already had another master? That was unheard of.

Another minute or so of some rapid fire questions that Hadrian seemed too awkward to answer, and eventually they were able to settle down and focus on the lesson that Professor Hagrid had prepared for them. The lesson was obviously about Phoenix's, and Professor Hagrid did a much better job of teaching than Fleur had initially thought he would. The class ended around an hour later, and Fleur could honestly say that she both learned plenty and had enjoyed the class.

" _I still cannot believe that Hadrian was able to get Fawkes to like him so quickly. I knew that he must be different from everyone else, but I never would have expected that."_

" _It is amazing."_ Fleur responded absentmindedly as she and Olivia walked back towards the castle, still thinking back on what she had seen. Had she been more focused on her friend, she'd have seen the mischievous smirk that Olivia wore.

 ***MaE***

Severus Snape hadn't felt anxiety like this in years, and never before had he had such trouble preparing for a lesson. But as he watched Harry, or Hadrian now, walk into his classroom side by side with the famous Viktor Krum, he knew that everything would turn out alright. Hadrian may have been gone for ten years, but he had to believe that Hadrian would have kept all the qualities that made him a good person. Qualities that he clearly hadn't received from his parents.

"I will not waste time asking our new students to introduce themselves, just know that I expect only the best from everyone in this classroom. The Hogwarts students here all had to receive an O on their OWLs to be allowed to continue this classroom. I expect you to perform similarly."

And that was all that Severus had to say to them about that.

The lesson was a bit of a difficult one, though not incredibly so. The class was tasked with making a Wolfsbane potion, something that was incredibly convenient considering that a full moon was only a week away and Remus was low on his potions. It was no surprise that Hadrian's potion was turning out perfectly, he had been a prodigy in the subject ten years ago. And the rest of the students potions were turning out well enough, as they should be.

The lesson came to an end quicker than usual, a fact that Snape had no doubt was due to his nervousness. But Snape had been waiting for ten years to see the boy, and he did not want to wait any longer to talk to him. And so, as the students began gathering up their things and preparing to leave the classroom, Severus Snape steeled himself and called out to the boy.

"Hadrian, if you wouldn't mind staying in the classroom for a bit. I would very much like to discuss your potion."

A simple statement, one that didn't seem abnormal or suspicious, especially due to how well Hadrian's potion had turned out. And so, the students began marching out of the classroom, leaving behind the Durmstrang student, unaware that the teacher was confronting one of the only people he had ever considered family.

There was silence for a moment, though it wasn't an uncomfortable one. But it felt almost wrong to break it, to break the comfortable atmosphere that the potions lab had. To acknowledge that Hadrian had been gone for ten years, instead of just living in denial and ignorance.

"So… was my potion really that good, Professor?"

Sarcastic as always. Snape could only smile at that. "Well, I guess I was just impressed your potions skills haven't diminished after ten years away from me." Snape said in return, which got a small laugh from the young man.

A couple more moments passed in silence, and both of their smile's fell from their faces. And then, in unison, they both stepped towards each other and drew the other in a fierce hug. It was strange for Severus to hug Harry… Hadrian, when the young man was now just as tall as himself. And he was very muscular. And he was… all grown up, and Severus didn't know how he was supposed to react to all this.

Hadrian was supposed to grow up with the Potters. They weren't the best parents, in any sense of the word, but he was supposed to be with them. Because if Hadrian was with the Potters, than Snape would have been with him as well. But sadly, but also rightly, Hadrian had left them, and had gone to live out his own life. But Severus had just wished that he had been there to be a part of it.

"I… I am so sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me to be there." Snape said to Hadrian, a couple of tears leaking from his eyes as they hugged, though the potions professor couldn't tell if they were tears of sadness or joy.

"It's okay, Uncle Snape. You were always there for me. I just needed to be away from them for a bit. If I could, I would have asked you to come with me."

The two of them cried for another moment as they hugged, before separating themselves to have the talk they both knew was coming the moment that Severus Snape asked Hadrian to stay after class. Snape couldn't help but look at the differences that he saw in the boy now. The scars that he now bore and the change in his eyes. The way that he was constantly eyeing the classroom and doorway, something that Snape thought that even Hadiran didn't even notice himself.

"So Harry… Hadiran, how would you feel about having dinner here, rather than in the Great Hall?"

 ***MaE***

There were two people absent at dinner that Headmaster Dumbledore took immediate notice of. And that was professor Snape and Harry Potter, or Hadiran now, he guessed. And that was not something he liked. Severus Snape and Harry Potter had been very close back when Harry was living with his family, and when Harry had disappeared, Snape had suddenly become a very big problem.

Before Harry had disappeared, Snape had been very loyal to the headmaster. Dumbledore knew exactly what to say and what to do in order to make sure that the brightest mind in potions would follow him, all to make sure that Eric Potter would be able to become the person he needed to be to defeat the Dark Lord. But the second that the older nuisance, Harry Potter, had disappeared, Snape had become uncontrollable.

As Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore gazed out upon the large student body that made up the Great Hall during dinner time, he couldn't help but think about what he could have done to prevent such a danger to his plans. Maybe he could have done what Severus wanted and seriously looked for the young boy. Maybe if he had looked for Harry Potter when he had first disappeared, then he wouldn't be in this difficult predicament.

But Albus didn't have time to think about that now. The old professor had about a month before the champions were chosen, and he needed to use every bit of that time to prepare Eric Potter for the upcoming trials. Dumbledore had thought of informing Lily and James of his plan for the boy, but he decided that he needed them to be in the dark about this as well. If they knew then they might let Eric know, which he couldn't have if the test was supposed to work.

Getting Eric into the tournament would be easy enough, just a powerful confundus charm on the goblet would make it think that there were four schools competing. But once Eric was selected, Dumbledore wouldn't be allowed to help the young boy, at least not directly. He would have to stop the boys private lessons, due to the rule stating that the champions weren't allowed to receive outside help. Not that it would help anyway, the boys private lessons with the headmaster never seemed to go as well as they needed.

But maybe that was what Eric Potter needed. The tasks were already decided, so it wasn't like Dumbledore needed to create contingency plans for those. Maybe what Eric needed was to go through his first trial with no help. He would either grow and succeed, or he would realize that he needed to get serious about his studies. And there was no better way for those two things to be realized than dragons.

Yes, that was the plan. In just under two months, Dumbledore would know exactly what steps needed to be taken. But first, Eric needed just a bit of experience without his help.

 ***MaE***

It was nearing nine in the evening when Viktor finally saw the form of his best friend approach the Durmstrang ship. Viktor wasn't worried about his friend, he knew that he had a lot of catching up to do with the potions professor, but it was always best to make sure that Hadrian remembered to go to sleep at night. As much as a night owl Hadrian was, he did get a bit cranky when he got no sleep.

" _So, how did your talk with Professor Snape go?"_

Hadrian looked to where his friend was, looking only the smallest bit surprised to see Viktor on the deck of the ship. But he got over it and smiled, walked over to where the seeker was leaning over the side looking towards the large castle.

" _It was great. You know, nice to see someone from here who actually knows who I am and cares. And I was there when Eric came in for his detention, and the look on his face when he remembered me from this morning was hilarious."_

Viktor gave only a small chuckle at that, looking over towards his friend in worry. How Hadrian was able to come face to face with his younger brother, the person Viktor believed to be a source for all of Hadrian's problems from his life before, and not even care was astounding. And no matter what Hadrian said, Viktor couldn't keep himself from worrying.

" _The Veela, Fleur, was looking at you a lot during class."_ Viktor told Hadrian, desperate to find something to talk about that wouldn't worry him. _"Well, most were once you got the phoenix on your shoulder, but she was looking even before then. And her friend, Olivia, is definitely up to something. She kept sneaking glances between Fleur and you."_

Hadrian's face gained a soft blush at the idea of the most beautiful woman in the world looking at him. It was awkward enough when they had locked eyes at dinner the night before, but now? Well, Hadrian didn't quite know how to feel.

" _I bet you two will be together by the end of the year. Probably even sooner."_

Hadrian gave a short laugh at that, knowing his friend was joking. Or at least, he hoped Viktor was.

" _Well if that's the case, then we have to make sure that we find someone for you as well. Can't have me leaving you behind all alone, can we?"_

It was now Viktor's turn to become embarrassed, which was shown by how quickly he changed the subject yet again.

" _So, um, what did Karkaroff say to you last night?"_

" _Oh, just about what you'd expect him to say. Losing the tournament is not an option, try to represent Durmstrang in a positive light, try to keep my heritage a secret. I honestly just don't know why he keeps insisting that I'm going to be the Durmstrang champion."_

" _Well you are, that's just a fact. No one in Durmstrang is even close to your skill level. The others might like to think that they are, but that's only because you tend to hold yourself back."_

Hadrian gave a small grunt, but gave no other reply to his friend. Viktor was right, of course, and Hadrian knew that. But he still didn't know how to feel about it. He was excited about what challenges he would face, but being in the spotlight was also something that he hated. He always got so awkward, and he never knew what to do.

" _Have you given any more thought to Karkaroff's offer?"_ Viktor asked, pulling Hadrian out of his thoughts. _"You think you want to become a teacher?"_

Hadrian took a couple seconds to collect his thoughts before answering. _"It sounds interesting, and I think I would be really good at it. But I also don't know how I would feel teaching students that are only a year younger than myself. And…_

" _I don't know. I guess I just want to go home."_

 ***MaE***

Hadrian wasn't someone who was used to people approaching him out of the blue. Or approaching him at all. Hadrian preferred to keep to himself, working on his projects and staying out of the way of others. And so when he was tapped on the shoulder during breakfast and turned to see Olivia and Fleur from Care of Magical Creatures, he wasn't entirely sure what to do.

"'Ello, 'Adrian." Olivia said, having obvious trouble with speaking and pronouncing English. "Fleur and I were 'oping… 'oping that you would…" Yea, she needed help right now.

" _It is okay, you don't need to bother yourself with English."_ Hadrian replied, laughing to himself at their shocked expressions. _"I spent a couple years learning French, so I should be able to keep up with you."_

It took the two French girls a couple of seconds to collect themselves, and when they did, Olivia leaned in whispered something to Fleur, who blushed in return. Hadrian didn't know what they could be talking about, but Hadrian decided to let them have their privacy. They turned back to Hadrian, and the Durmstrang boy noticed that Fleur's smile seemed particularly nervous.

" _Thank you, that makes it so much easier to talk to you. Buy anyway, Fleur here was just wondering if she could talk to you about what happened with the Phoenix in yesterday's Care of Magical Creatures class. She was just absolutely amazed by it. Anyways, someone is calling me at the other table, have fun!"_

And in a flash, Olivia seated her blond friend next to Hadrian, and seemingly disappeared.

Hadrian really hated Viktor for turning up to breakfast late that day.

 ***MaE***

Fleur really hated Olivia that day.

Without even asking her permission, Olivia had dragged her over to where Hadrian was seated, and she noted that he was sitting alone that day, and had all but thrown her onto the bench next to the Bulgarian student. No explanation, no plan, no communication, only a fake story that Olivia told Hadrian so that the exchange didn't seem strange.

Well, the story wasn't necessarily untrue, but Fleur hadn't meant that she wanted to talk directly to Hadrian about it. And Olivia hadn't even talked to her about it. Fleur had barely entered the Great Hall before her dark haired grabbed her and marched them over to the Slytherin table.

" _So, um, do you… do you like Care of Magical Creatures?"_

Hadrian had sounded very nervous asking that question, but at the very least, he asked it in French, which made the veela much more comfortable. Fleur was conversational in English, and could understand most of what was said to her, but that didn't mean she was comfortable talking in a foreign language so often. And Fleur noticed that unlike Hadrian's English accent, his accent with French, while not nearly as bad as others that she had heard, was not perfect. It made it sound just a bit cuter, if anything.

" _Yeah, I'm really enjoying it so far. Professor Hagrid is a far better teacher than I thought he would be, and if the first lesson is anything to go by, then it should be a very interesting class."_ Fleur replied, before realizing just what she said sounded like. Luckily for her, Hadrian didn't seem to make the connection that she had.

" _So you know French."_ Fleur said randomly, trying to move to a conversation that she would be more comfortable in. _"How did that happen? Did you just study, or have you been for a visit?"_

That seemed to put Hadrian at ease as well. _"I actually backpacked across France a couple years back. It was absolutely beautiful. I'd love to go back, but I haven't found the time. Maybe after this year when I'm done with school."_

" _Really, you backpacked France? Did you do this with your family?"_

Fleur noticed a sad look in Hadrian's eye's, but it was gone so quickly that she had to wonder if she just imagined it. _"No, uh, I actually grew up by myself. No family. So I went on the trip by myself as well."_

This boy just continued to surprise Fleur. Grown up alone, and had backpacked across France alone? And when he was only a child no less. Just what kind of life had Hadrian lived?

" _So Fleur, what uh, what do you plan to go into when you leave school?"_ Hadrian asked, pulling Fleur out of her thoughts.

It was a difficult question for Fleur to answer. Truthfully, she didn't know what she wanted to do yet. She knew that she was skilled enough with charms to at least teach it, so long as she spent a couple years after school undertaking an apprenticeship. She also had the skills required to work in Herbology, another small hobby of hers.

But if she were being honest with herself, her true passion was writing. She would love nothing more than to simply settle into a life of fashioning and creating vast fictional worlds, ones full of heroism and adventure. But the wizarding world had very little need for fiction, and from the small amounts of the muggle world she had seen, it was quite difficult to become a published author without already having connections.

" _If I'm being honest, I'm not quite sure."_ she replied, receiving a look of confusion from Hadrian. _"Well, I mean, I'd like to be an author, but that's not likely to happen. And I haven't really decided on a more realistic goal."_

" _Well I think that's a realistic enough goal."_ Hadrian responded without even a moment's hesitation. Fleur looked to her side to see the handsome man staring intently at her, his expression one of empathy and understanding. _"I mean, if you know that that's what you want to do, I don't think anything should stop you."_

What he was saying wasn't anything new, her parents and Olivia had told her that several times. But Hadrian had only just met her, and already he seemed to believe that she should pursue it. Fleur didn't know exactly what about her made Hadrian think so, but it was definitely kind of him. Much kinder than many other people were to her.

" _Thank you, that means a lot to me."_ She said to him, getting a small smile from him in return. _"What about you, do you have a career choice lined up?"_

" _Yea, I've been thinking about teaching. I'm not exactly set on which subject I would teach, but I like the idea of helping the future generations. Other than that, I think it'd be interesting to do something with Alchemy."_

" _You study Alchemy?"_ Fleur asked, absolutely astonished. _"How is that possible, don't you have to go through many more years of education before you can?"_

It was now clear to anyone who looked that Hadrian that he was slightly embarrassed. His hand starting scratching the back of his head, and he avoided direct eye contact. _"Yea, well, I started studying a bit earlier, and I had a good teacher."_

Fleur would have to continue asking Hadrian about this, if the two of them continued to talk to each other after this, but unfortunately, a quick tempus charm showed her that she had to make her way to her first class of the day.

" _Oh shoot, I have to go."_ Fleur said as she began to gather up her things. _"You wouldn't happen to have charms right now, would you?_ She asked, perhaps a bit more hopeful than she should have.

" _No, I uh, I actually have a free period right now. But I have Herbology second, if you happen to have it as well?"_ Hadrian replied, and Fleur was happy to note that he sounded just as hopeful as she did.

" _I'll see you there, Hadrian"_

 ***MaE***

"Ah, Severus, how very good to see you." Albus said as he stood to greet his stoic Potions Professor. The younger man said nothing in response as he made his way to the headmaster's desk, though that was not unexpected. "Lemon drop, my boy?"

"Enough with the formalities, Dumbledore, what exactly did you call me up here for?" Severus Snape without so much as glancing towards the offered sweet. Albus had the decency to at least look bummed by that, but Snape couldn't find it in himself to care much about that.

"I simply noticed that you were absent from dinner last night, and I was wondering if you were alright. It wouldn't do for one of our best professors to fall ill." the century old man said, the ever present sparkle in his eye still present.

"Well as you can see, I am not ill. Now if you wouldn't mind, I do have a lesson to prepare for the third years." Snape said in reply as he turned away. He was nearly halfway back to the door when the voice of the old wizard interrupted him.

"Forgive me, Severus, but I couldn't help but notice that one of the Durmstrang students was also absent from dinner. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

Severus Snape froze in his step for but a second before he turned and started walking back far faster than he had before, a look of anger clear on his face for the headmaster to see.

"You will do nothing to him."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean, Severus."

"You know damn well what I mean, you old bastard!" Snape yelled, quickly losing whatever composure he had. "You know exactly who he is, and you will get nothing from me! And you best stay away from him. I don't care who you are, or how powerful you may be. If you so much as look at him the wrong way, I will show you a world of pain that would make the devil beg for forgiveness."

The sparkle in Dumbledore's eye was gone now, replaced with a look of tiredness and frustration. The old man took off his half-moon spectacles and began to massage his temples. This seemed to be how every interaction with the potions professor had gone for the past ten years. And now that Harry had finally come back, it only seemed to be more difficult.

"It is important to know where Harry has been for the past ten years, as well as what he has experienced." he said to Severus, only getting an even fiercer glare in return.

"If it wasn't important where he had gone ten years ago, why on earth would it be important now? Face it Dumbledore, you only care because you don't want Hadrian to interfere with your ridiculous plans for that ridiculous boy."

That may be true, but there was simply no way that Dumbledore would say that now, with how angry Severus was at the moment. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him in, he should have known that the younger man would divulge nothing that the two of them no doubtedly discussed last night. But he had to at least try.

"His family should know that he is alive, Severus. Alive, well, and hopefully happy. Do you not think that, despite all of their mistakes, despite all of _our_ mistakes, that they deserve this chance to reconnect with their son?"

Snape didn't seem to buy what he was saying, which was a shame. If only he had taken the time to find the blasted boy all those years ago, then this could have all been avoided.

"No, I do not believe anything of that. If they didn't care enough then, when we went missing and was presumed _dead_ , then they don't deserve anything now."

And with that, Severus Snape turned around and walked out of the office, giving the door a very loud slam on his way out. Albus gave and loud and exhausted sigh, before he turned around and looked out towards the grounds of the great school he managed.

Perhaps he was going about this the wrong way, he thought as he called for an elf to bring him some tea. Perhaps all this sneaking around and information gathering would not do for this situation. Harry Potter may be a man now, grown up with only himself for ten years, but he was still young. Young and impressionable. If Dumbledore were to go to the young boy himself, get a read on him in person, then maybe, just maybe, he could fix all of this.

Yes, this he could do.


End file.
